Division I

Women's Lacrosse

Michella Chester | NCAA.com | January 17, 2020

Top offensive impact players returning for the 2020 women's lacrosse season

Here are 10 offensive impact players to watch in the 2020 women's lacrosse season

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The 2019 women's lacrosse season came to a close with a battle between Maryland and Boston College. Meaning college lacrosse fans saw offensive powerhouse and 2018 Tewaaraton winner, Sam Apuzzo on the college stage for the last time. As well as 2019 Tewaaraton nominee Jen Giles from Maryland, and some other dominant attackers and midfielders.

But, don't worry. There are plenty of unbelievable offensive players returning for this season. Let's take a look at them.

10 top offensive players to watch this season

Jamie Ortega, UNC — junior attack

North Carolina is returning an offensive powerhouse in Ortega. Ortega averaged 3.86 goals per game last season and racked up 81 goals. She finished fifth in the country in points with 112 which broke a UNC-record as the first Tar Heel to reach the 100-point plateau. Her 81 goals also broke a UNC-record, (the previous number was 72, set by Molly Hendrick in 2017). Ortega very much deserved her IWLCA first-team All-American honors. She was just a sophomore; let’s see what junior year has in store.

Emily Hawryschuk, Syracuse — senior attack

Hawryschuk is another IWLCA first-team All-American from last season. She led Syracuse in both points and goals. She finished with 75 goals, averaging 3.57 goals per game and 94 points.

Kali Hartshorn, Maryland — senior attack

The reigning national champions are losing some key offensive players in Jen Giles, Erica Evans and Caroline Steele, but Hartshorn is coming back. She led Maryland's effort in the circle, with 137 draw controls, so they won't need to do any replacing at the draw. She averaged 5.96 draw controls per game. The second-team All-American and 2019 Tewaaraton nominee scored 48 goals, posted 19 assists, 11 groundballs and eight caused turnovers last season.

Kennedy is another Tewaraaton nominee and first team All-American on this list. This midfielder is crazy good. Kennedy averaged 4 goals per game last season which ranks sixth in the nation. She is also sixth in the nation in total goals with 84. She makes her presence known inside the eight and shoots from just about anywhere. Stony Brook's tournament run was cut short by Maryland last season, but Kennedy is coming back for more.

Shannon Kavanagh, Florida — junior midfield

Kavanagh was a second team All-American and was named to the 2019 Tewaaraton watch list last season in her sophomore year. She finished the season with 69 goals and 3.29 goals per game, and she will have even more opportunities this year. Last season, she became just the 16th Gator to record at least 100 points in their career. She is just the sixth to do so in two years at Florida.

Kelly Larkin, Navy — senior attack

Larkin was on the Tewaaraton watch list (top 50) and then was a nominee (top 25) last season. She also finished the season with 69 goals and 3.29 goals per game, but also ranked pretty high up in assists in the country, with 52 on the season. Her 121 points ranked third in the nation last year.

Livy Rosenzweig, Loyola — junior attack

Rosenzweig was a top 25 Tewaaraton award semifinalist as a sophomore. She ranked fourth in the country in points with 116, mostly due to her 70 assists last season. She has accomplished quite a bit at Loyola, as the program’s single-season record holder for points; set as a freshman in 2018 and broke again in 2019 and the first player at Loyola — male or female — to record 100 points in a single season, doing so in back-to-back seasons.

Katie Hoeg, UNC — senior attack

Hoeg is another Tar Heel to join Ortega on this list. The second-team All-American finished last season second in the nation in assists with 73. Those 73 assists set a school record in 2019, breaking her own record of 50 (set in 2018). She is also Carolina’s career assist leader with 132 (breaking the previous record of 121 set by Ela Hazar). Last season, she was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team after recording four goals and 12 assists in three wins.

Maddie Howe, Notre Dame — junior attack

Howe was a second-team All-American last season as a sophomore and the Fighting Irish’s leading scorer. She led the team with 59 goals and 78 points, and scored a goal in every game with at least three goals in 13 contests. Yet again, another 2019 Tewaaraton Award Watch List player coming back. Howe will be crucial in Notre Dame's big matchups this season.

Charlotte North, Boston College — junior attack

North spent her first two seasons at Duke, but will finish her career as an Eagle for the national runner ups. The Eagles lost 2018 Tewaaraton winner Sam Apuzzo, the nation's leading scorer last season, and Kenzie Kent, the nation's leader in assists from last season. But North will have a lot of opportunity to step up. She finished her sophomore season at Duke third in the nation in goals per game with 4.32. She will join Cara Urbank to assist her in running that BC offense.

Michella Chester's work has appeared on Georgiadogs.com, FOX Sports South, Atlanta Blaze MLL and SB Nation. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia where she played lacrosse and earned a degree in Journalism and Sport Media Certificate. Follow her on Twitter @michellachester.

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